Paul Hobbs, founder of Paul Hobbs Winery, and Richard Magnuson, of GI Partners, have announced the purchase of the 90-acre Tourmaline Vineyard located in Napa Valley's new Coombsville AVA. The property was first planted to Bordeaux varieties over a decade ago, and has been a source for producers such as Cardinale, Merus, Chappellet and Paul Hobbs Winery. Zepponi & Company, the global wine industry mergers and acquisitions advisory firm, served as the exclusive financial advisor to GI Partners and negotiated the sale to Paul Hobbs Winery.

Located off of East Imola Avenue, south east of the town of Napa, the Tourmaline Vineyard is situated on gently slopped terrain. The property has 63 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot vines. The soils are comprised of Guenoc rock outcrop complex, Haire loam, Haire clay loam and Sobrante loam. The Coombsville region is known for its cool Region II climate which allows for an extended growing season, resulting in muscular and structured wines with deep color. Since becoming an AVA in late 2011, producers have been permitted to list Coombsville on the labels of new bottlings, resulting in increased exposure and cachet within the wine industry.

The new vineyard is Paul Hobbs Winery's first acquisition in the Napa Valley. His holding currently owns several Chardonnay and Pinot Noir vineyards in the Russian River Valley, including the Katherine Lindsay estate vineyard in Sebastopol, named after Paul's beloved great-grandmother, which is also home to the winery.

"Tourmaline is an exceptional vineyard with a history of producing high-quality fruit," says Hobbs. "I like Coombsville due to the distinctive soils, including Guenoc rock outcrop complex and Sobrante loam, and reputation for growing quality Cabernet Sauvignon. I'm honored to bring the Tourmaline Vineyard into our family of vineyards."

"Paul Hobbs has a rich history of making wines true to the characteristics of the Tourmaline site, and we look forward to enjoying the wines for years to come," said Magnuson.

Paul Hobbs Winery focuses on meticulous vineyard management followed by minimally-invasive winemaking techniques to produce wines that express their vineyard origins with finesse, complexity and authenticity. Paul Hobbs wines are fermented with native yeasts, aged in French oak, and bottled unfined and unfiltered. Paul Hobbs is highly regarded for his ability to identify exceptional vineyards, and for his pioneering spirit in working innovatively with new and historical sites and regions in California, Argentina, Chile, France and Armenia. In addition to working as a consultant for wineries worldwide, his wineries include: Paul Hobbs Winery, CrossBarn Winery and Viña Cobos.